Jamie-Lee Rahiri

Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Whātua, Te Ātihaunui-a-Pāpārangi

Dr Jamie-Lee Rahiri works as a surgeon and researcher to improve Māori well-being and experiences in healthcare. Throughout her time in healthcare, she has witnessed how vulnerable Māori are within the health system, and she is determined to change this.

Jamie-Lee completed her Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery at Waipapa Taumata Rau, the University of Auckland, in 2014 and then went on to complete her PhD on Māori experiences of weight loss surgery in Auckland. Her studies looked past the medical aspects to understand how the negative societal views of these procedures impact Māori post-surgery.

As Māori surgeons make up less than 1% of the medical workforce, Jamie-Lee also works to build a pro-equity and culturally safe surgical workforce. She has received a $30,000 grant from the Health Research Council to start Te Piringa Kōtuku, an independent Māori surgical research and training institute. This mahi encourages rangatahi to study surgery and for mentors to support them through their studies. Rahiri herself had mentors who supported her and inspired her to pursue surgery.

Jamie-Lee’s recently contributed to a research paper called The Surgical Sisterhood, which recognised that despite a push for diversity in surgery, discussions of gender diversity in surgery still largely exclude Indigenous women. This study follows how mana wāhine and Masi methods support women in the surgical sisterhood through their advanced surgical training.

Additional Links:

He Rangatira Our Leaders

Ariana Simpson

Ngati Awa, Te Whānau -ā- Apanui, Ngāti Rangihouhiri

Ariana is known and respected for her dedication to whānau through her advocacy for social justice and social change in stopping violence against women and children.

Ezekiel Raui

Te Rarawa, Cook Islands

Ezekiel Raui is an outstanding young man who genuinely cares about the wellbeing of youth in this country.

Awerangi Tamihere

Ngāti Kauwhata, Rangitane, Ngāti Porou, Rongowhakaata, Ngāi Tahu

For the past three decades, Awerangi Tamihere (MNZM) has dedicated her career to strategic health planning, organisational development, and the reform of social policies, with a primary emphasis on whānau development.

Andre McLachlan

Ngāti Apa (Ngāti Kauae), Muaūpoko (Ngāti Pāriri)

For many years now Andre has led kaupapa Māori based workforce development by contributing to the advancement of innovative and dynamic kaupapa Māori based therapeutic resources.